About Margaret


The beginning

Margaret Carter was born in Chile, South America, Educated in the UK, Married in the Bahamas and returned to the UK as a married woman when she was 21.

Getting started

After realising that the family income did not support the champagne lifestyle she was used to from the Bahamas, she started her first business selling paper flowers in the swinging sixties from the back of her mini with two children in tow. With a number of changes of direction she hit upon a winner in the form of a knitwear business selling up and down the trendy King’s Road, Miss Selfridge and Way In, Harrods.


North Wales

Noticing that her children were growing up fast and struggling in the recession of the late seventies she decided to move to North Wales to spend more time with them and enjoy being a mother. Realising that this retreat to the hills needed an income she again set about starting a business, but this time she started it from home doing something that she could do herself. Taking £9 from the house keeping budget The Patchwork Traditional Food Company was born.

Growth

patchwork

Margaret took Patchwork to a £2 million turnover before handing over the reigns to her youngest son Rufus, the current MD. The company has over 80 awards and accolades for both products and business ethos.


Awards

  • In 1995 she was awarded the title small business woman of the year in the Welsh Woman of the year competition.
  • In 1998 she was a finalist in the European woman entrepreneur of the year.
  • In 1999 Patchwork joined the illustrious group of companies that make up the Welsh Fast Growth 50.
  • In 2001 she was the Welsh Employer of the Year.
  • In 2008 she was given a lifetime achievement award for her work in the speciality food industry by the Guild of Fine Food Retailers.

Now

Margaret currently works as a mentor for The Prince’s Trust, Dynamo, has private clients and sits on the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme panel for the Welsh Assembly Government.

She is patron of the I Am Woman Business Club in Cardiff and HEALS UK, a charity that helps people who slip through the normal welfare and support systems.

She is especially passionate about youth entrepreneurship and is a speaker in schools under the Dynamo project and Big Ideas Wales.

She has started a networking group for creative entrepreneurial woman called Empower Mentoring.

She is currently working on bringing employability and soft skills education to schools and youth.